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EC calls out final list of presidential candidates today

Disqualified presidential aspirants will know by close of day Wednesday if they have made it onto the ballot as the Electoral Commission readies to publish a final list of presidential candidates for the December 7 general elections.

Eight out of 13 disqualified presidential candidates on Tuesday re-submitted their nomination forms following a Supreme Court order to EC to allow them to correct errors on their nomination forms that formed the basis for their disqualification.

Chairperson of the Commission, Charlotte Osei, explained at the time that the disqualified aspirants did not meet the criteria for filing as president.

She cited administrative and criminal infractions on the forms, some of which include instances where two forms have been endorsed by one person in contravention of CI 94, the law regulating electoral processes in Ghana.

The ruling followed an application filed at the Supreme Court by the EC to challenge an Accra High Court ruling that overturned the disqualification of the Progressive People's Party (PPP's) Presidential Candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom.

However, the Supreme Court also upheld the ruling of the lower court, directing the EC to re-open date for nomination on Monday and Tuesday for candidates to correct the mistakes on their forms.

However, in an unexpected twist, errors the EC cited on the forms of the disqualified aspirants increased. The EC found 104 more errors on the nomination of the PPP, an outcome that has angered political pundits and the PPP camp.

The candidates have accused the Commission of deliberately refusing to point their errors for the correction to be made on the forms.

Presidential aspirants for the PPP, National Democratic Party (NDP), All People’s Congress (APC), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), United Progressive Party (UPP), the United Front Party (UFP), People’s National Convention (PNC), and an independent candidate, Asiedu Walker are among the 8 candidates who will be waiting for a favourable response from the EC.

They will be hoping to join the presidential candidates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) the Convention People's Party (CPP) and an independent candidate, Jacob Yeboah.
Presidential aspirant of the PNC, Edward Mahama, is hopeful the EC will take the right decision.

Dr Edward Mahama
"Even with my experience and my stature, I am still a pupil, I have performed a test and it is the teacher who marks. The Electoral Commission this time are the teachers. They will mark. They will make this determination, not even the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said 'go back to the EC', it didn't say 'you have qualified'", he said. 

However, some of the candidates have threatened to head to court if they are convinced the EC breaches the law.


Source: myjoyonline.com

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